First CICA Workers Skills Competition Opens in Guangzhou
GUANGZHOU — The first-ever Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Workers Skills Competition opened on July 1, 2026, in Guangzhou, China, bringing together 56 skilled workers from over 20 CICA member and observer states for a landmark event in Asian multilateral cooperation.
Organized by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the competition runs from June 30 to July 4 at the Guangdong Lingnan Modern Technician College. It marks the first international workers skills competition under the CICA framework, transforming the security-focused forum into a platform for practical cooperation in vocational skills development, as Xinhua News reported.
Three Tracks of Competition
The competition features three distinct skill categories, each aligned with Asia’s evolving industrial landscape: bricklaying, drone assembly and maintenance, and high-voltage cable intelligent inspection.
Bricklaying, a fundamental construction skill vital to infrastructure development across Asia, follows World Skills Competition standards. Contestants were given 210 minutes to construct a wall featuring a horse motif, with the horse’s four legs forming the number “2026.” The task assessed dimensional accuracy, horizontal and vertical alignment, masonry standardization, and mortar joint fullness.
Drone assembly and maintenance tested competitors across three progressive modules: complete drone assembly from components, system parameter configuration and sensor calibration, and operational verification including takeoff, hover, 360-degree rotation, crop protection spraying, and safe landing — reflecting the growing importance of the low-altitude economy.
High-voltage cable intelligent inspection involved two modules: plastic cable pretreatment (stripping, polishing, and cutting) and cable length measurement and path detection using smart detection equipment. Six workstations with hundreds of meters of cable loops simulated real operational scenarios, testing workers’ ability to maintain smart grid infrastructure.
According to Guangzhou Daily, the competition day saw intense activity across all three venues as contestants demonstrated precision and skill under the watch of international judges.
A Platform for Exchange, Not Just Competition
Liang Zhibin, a gold medalist at the 44th World Skills Competition in bricklaying and a technical advisor for the event, emphasized the deeper purpose of the gathering.
“Competition is just a formality,” Liang told Guangzhou Daily. “The core and most important purpose of the CICA Workers Skills Competition is to build a platform for skills exchange and mutual learning.”
After the main events, Liang and Chen Zifeng — the 45th World Skills bricklaying gold medalist — invited contestants from all participating countries to collaboratively build a commemorative wall featuring the CICA logo, symbolizing the spirit of cooperation that the event seeks to foster.
Why Guangzhou Was Selected
Guangzhou’s selection as host city reflects its industrial strength and skills development infrastructure. The city possesses 35 of the 41 industrial categories recognized by the United Nations and has nurtured six advanced manufacturing clusters each exceeding 100 billion yuan in output, as Guangzhou Daily reported in its background analysis.
Wen Yanxi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangzhou Municipal Government, explained the significance of hosting the event. “Guangzhou’s ability to host this competition is both a high-level recognition by the nation of Guangzhou’s industrial strength, event-hosting capability, and openness, and an honorable mission for Guangzhou to serve the country’s overall diplomacy and contribute to practical Asian regional cooperation,” he said.
The city has developed 294 “Yangcheng Skills Gas Stations” providing a 15-minute skills training service circle, training over 240,000 people annually. Its talent pipeline includes three national-level master craftsmen, 15 Nanyue craftsmen, and 2,000 craftsmen at various levels.
A New Chapter for CICA
Originally proposed by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1992, CICA has evolved from a security-focused forum into a multifaceted platform for Asian cooperation. The workers skills competition represents a significant expansion into people-to-people exchanges and vocational collaboration.
The event’s theme, “Mutual Trust and Mutual Learning, Crafting the Future,” underscores its dual purpose: advancing technical skills while building confidence among nations. Organizers designed a “skills + culture + experience” program that includes technical exchanges, cultural activities, and visits to Chinese industrial facilities including Southern Power Grid’s technology center and XPeng’s Guangzhou manufacturing base.
Wen Wenxing, Executive Deputy Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Federation of Trade Unions, noted at a June 17 press conference that the competition serves as an important platform for promoting skills exchange among CICA countries and supporting the Belt and Road Initiative, as Guangzhou Daily reported.
Looking Ahead
The competition concludes on July 4 with an awards ceremony and the release of the CICA Workers Skills Exchange Initiative, a joint statement outlining future cooperation in vocational training and skills recognition among member states.
Analysts suggest the event could become a regular fixture under the CICA framework, potentially leading to mutual recognition of vocational qualifications across Asia — a development that would significantly enhance labor mobility and skills development throughout the region.
For Guangzhou, the competition represents more than a diplomatic milestone. It showcases the city’s ambition to position itself as a global hub for skills development and international cooperation, bridging traditional Lingnan craftsmanship with cutting-edge industries from artificial intelligence to the low-altitude economy.